Authorities in South Korea have taken custody of a suspect accused of drugging and extorting high school students, culminating in months of cross-border cooperation with China. Lee Jae-Cheon, a 26-year-old South Korean national, was transferred after being apprehended in China where he sought refuge.

According to South Korean police reports, Lee and others concocted a scheme in April this year. They diluted methamphetamine into drinks, falsely claiming it boosted concentration, and duped over ten high school students into consuming them. Subsequently, they exploited the students' drug use as leverage to threaten and extort money from their parents.

Facing charges of providing drugs to minors and intentional extortion, Lee was wanted by South Korean police and had an Interpol red notice issued for his arrest. China's Ministry of Public Security, upon receiving a request from South Korea, deployed public security units in Jilin province to track down Lee.

Through close collaboration between the two countries' law enforcement agencies, Lee was located and apprehended in China. Completing the necessary legal procedures, Chinese authorities extradited him to South Korea.

This successful operation underlines the commitment of both nations to tackling transnational crime, particularly those targeting vulnerable populations like minors. "Chinese law enforcement attaches great importance to combating transnational crimes such as drug trafficking, especially those infringing upon the rights of minors," stated the Ministry of Public Security in a statement.